FAQs

►Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)     Top

View commonly asked questions on a range of topics. If you have a question that is not listed, send us corrections, comments, and suggestions to info@kingaquaticclub.com or coaches@kingaquaticclub.com!

 

FAQ Topics


 

General Swim Team Questions

Q: Why should my child swim?
A: King Aquatic Club is the premier youth sports program in the Seattle-Tacoma Metro area. There are many benefits to getting your child involved in competitive swimming, including:

  • Swimming promotes physical development.
  • Swimming develops aerobic endurance and is one of the most beneficial forms of cardiovascular exercise.
  • Swimming enhances a child’s natural flexibility and promotes muscle development.
  • Swimming develops superior coordination.
  • Swimming is the most injury-free of all children’s sports.
  • Swimming is a sport that will bring children fitness and enjoyment for life.
  • Swimming promotes time management and is one of the top academically achieving sports.
  • Swimming is an important safety skill for young children.

Q: What is the swim team and why would I want my child to participate?
A: It’s fun. It’s great exercise. It builds confidence. It’s a great way for your child to meet other kids in the neighborhood. It’s a great way for you to meet other parents.

Q: Who can answer my questions about the swim team?
A: Send your email questions to info@kingaquaticclub.com or click here. Your question will be answered or direct you to the right person.

Q: What strokes do the swimmers use in competition?
A: Freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

Q: What swimming strokes does my child need to know to join the team?
A: If you child is 5 to 18 and can swim a lap of the pool then they should come to swim team practice and have the coach evaluate them for the team.

Q: What is a tryout and what should I expect?
A: A tryout is an evaluation done by our coaching staff to place each swimmer in the bestpossible group level. We start accepting swimmers out of lesson programs around the Y4 level. Each swimmer is different and may or may not be ready. The tryout will last about 10 minutes. Swimmers should be ready to swim with swimsuit, goggles, and a towel. If you are a senior level swimmer, please send us an email at info@kingaquaticclub.com or click here before coming to a tryout.

Q: What to wear?
A: Swimmers must come to the evaluation session ready to swim. This includes:

  • Proper swim training attire. Baggy shorts or ’beach wear’ are not acceptable. Call or email if you are unsure what this means.
  • Goggles and a swim cap if the child needs one.

Q: How do I schedule a tryout?
A: We offer drop in tryouts at most of our locations. Be sure to look at the specific information below for each pool. For Tahoma, Mercerwood, or Sammamish, please send an email to coaches or email info@kingaquaticclub.com or click here.

  • Covington (Covington Aquatic Center) - By appointment, contact coaches
  • Des Moines ( Mount Rainier Pool) - Fridays at 6:00 PM
  • Federal Way (King County Aquatic Center) - Mondays at 6:00 PM
  • Fife (Fife Swim Center) - Fridays at 5:45 PM
  • Kent (Kent Meridian Pool) - Mondays at 6:30 PM
  • Mercer Island/Bellevue (Mary Wayte & Woodridge) - By appointment, contact coaches

Q: I just want my child to learn how to swim better. Do they have to swim in competition?
A: You should discuss this with the coach.

Q: I see that there are different age groups for the swimmers. How does that work?
A: The age groups are 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18. Every other year your child will have an "up" year when they are the oldest in their age group and a "down" year when they are the youngest in their age group. The system generally works well.

Q: What entities regulate the sport of competitive swimming for the team?
A: Pacific Northwest Swimming (PNS) and USA Swimming (USAS) are the governing bodies of competitive swimming in our area and the U.S.A. respectively.

Q: How can I join King Aquatic Club?
A: Congratulations on your decision. Here are the steps to follow:

1) Contact one of the KING Coaches  and discuss with them your swimming experience. You can get a feel for which group might be right for you by visiting the Swim Groups Descriptions page. The coach may ask you to attend a practice session to be evaluated. The practice times and locations for all groups can be found on the Practice Schedule  page.

2) After agreeing with the coach on which group is right for you, go to the red "Start Registration" and follow the directions for registering online, You may also go to the  Forms/Documents page within the Membership Info link on the left side of the website. Print out the Swimmer Registration Forms.

3) Using either method, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions, and you may print copies for your own records of the agreements. Even when using the online registration, the Head Injury form must be filled out and signed and mailed to the address below.

4) If you are using the paper registration forms,  mail with your payment to:

King Aquatic Club
PO Box 28340
Seattle, WA 98118-8340

5) When the KING Office Manager processes your paperwork, your family account will be made ’Active’ and you will receive an email with your login password. Use your primary account email address as your login ID to sign-in to the website to view areas not accessible to the general public.

6) If you’ve trained/competed under a previous USA Swimming-affiliated club, complete a Pacific Northwest Swimming (PNS) Transfer Form. Send this form along with your registration form to the KING administrator.

7) Spend some time reviewing all of the KING website – there is a lot of information available to you. If you have more questions, always feel free to ask one of the Coaches, Pool Representatives, Board Members, or Committee Chairs. We are all available to help.

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Billing & Registration Questions

Q: What do I do after I fill out my registration paperwork?
A: If you have registered online, you will receive an email with your password to log  onto the website. Depending uopon your swimmer’s start date, you may also have training fees associated with you account. If you are filling out the paper registration forms, attach a check for: the Annual KING registsration fees and the current months training fees; mail in your forms and check to:

King Aquatic Club
PO Box 28340
Seattle, WA  98118-8340

Q: When will I know that I am registered for KING?
A: You will be registered shortly after your paperwork is received by our billing department. Once you have been registered, you will receive an email from the Office Manager with membership log-in instructions. Please log into the website to review your information and place your credit card on file if you wish to be charged monthly by credit card. If you wish to pay by check, you do not need change your account. If you have not received login instructions 7 days after you sent in  your registration, please email us at king.billing@comcast.net, click here, or call 206-306-6040. Note to credit card users: Credit card information must be on file prior to the 1st day of the month in order to process your automatic payment. If you miss getting your card information into the system by the 1st, please mail a check by the 10th of the month for your invoice balance. 

Q: When and how do I receive my bill?
A:  Invoices are system generated each month on the 21st. All activity in the system at that time will appear on your invoice which will be available to view on the website. An email reminder that your invoice is available will also be sent on the 21st.  Any billing activity entered after the 20th will be on the invoice the following month, however, it may be processed via the auto pay feature if the billing information was entered between the 21st and the 1st. In order to view your bill log into the website using your email address your provided KING.

Q: What does it mean when I receive an invoice email notification that says I have a balance due?
A: This means your KING account had charges posted since the previous invoice and that you need to make a payment to KING (if you have a balance of a zero or a credit, you don’t need to make any payments for that month.

Q: When are payments due to KING?
A: Invoices are available to view online the 21st of each month. Payments are due on the 1st of the month. All credit card payments are automated on the 1st. Mailed payments postmarked after the 10th of the month are considered late. The late fee is $20.00 per month

Q: How do I make a payment to KING?
A: There are two options to make a payent. The easiest is to set-up a pay by credit card (VISA or MasterCard). To set up, logged on and click on the ’Auto Pay’ link at the top, change payment method to automatically charge CREDIT CARD. Follow instructions to enter card information. You credit card will be billed monthly on the 1st if there is a balance due. The alternative is to mail a check to:

King Aquatic Club
PO Box 28340
Seattle, WA 981118-8340

Please remember to mail the check ASAP to ensure it reaches the billing office before the 10th of the month to avoid late fees.

Q: Where can I see the detailed charges on my account?
A: After you’ve logged on, go to ’$ My Invoice/Payment’ tab. Under this tab, you can see current and past invoices and all payments you’ve made. You also can see any currently posted charges that haven’t yet been invoiced by going to the ’My Account’ tab as well.

Q: What kind of charges are posted to my KING account?
A: All meet entry fees charges, session charges for all group swimmers (that haven’t paid in full for the whole season), KING Service Hours Fee (if you haven’t met your bi-annual and/or yearly obligation), and any Team Travel charges will all be posted to your KING billing account. Please note, that while it is unfortunate that a swimmer may become ill and unable to attend a meet, the member account is still responsible for those meet fees.


Q: How do I cancel my membership?
A: If you wish to cancel your membership, a written notice must be sent to king.billing@comcast.net and/or click here by the 15th day of the month prior to withdrawl. If written notification is not received by then, you are responsible for the training fees for that month.

Q: What if my swimmer wants to take a break from swimming for a couple of months?
A: If you wish to become inactive from the club, we need written notice by the 15th of the month prior to becoming inactive. Send your email to king.billing@comcast.net  and/or click here. Note, there is a reactivation fee of $125 per swimmer when an account is inactive for less than 5 months (150 days). If you are inactive due to injury, the reactivation fee may be waived.

Q: Who do I talk to if I have a question on my bill?
A: If you have a question on your bill, send your inquiry to king.billing@comcast.net or call 206-306-6040.

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Website Operation

Q: I forgot my password! What do I do? 
A: On the "Sign-In" page, click the link and your password will be emailed to you. Your password will be auto-emailed to the email address on file with your members-only account.

Q: Can I change my password? 
A: Yes. After you sign in, click on "Change Password" near the top-right corner of the home page. Then type the new password and click submit. 

Q: How can I change my email address or other contact information?
A: After signing in, Click on "My Account" and change your personal information. Make sure to click "Save" at the bottom when you are done.

Q: Why require username/password to use the KING website?
A: Members-only login protects private information. Because our website draws traffic from all over the country and around the world, each family’s username and password allows access to their specific family account. Some portions of the website are activated by signing-in and are viewable only by registered King Aquatic Club families. 

Q: Do I need a username/password for each family member?
A: No. Membership is set up as ONE ACCOUNT PER FAMILY. A family account can cover multiple swimmers in that family.

Q: How do I easily navigate around the KING website?
A: All pages are navigational from the Home Page, as well as the upper and left menus. For further assistance, go to the double delta symbol (►►) at top right: The KING Site Map.

Q: Sometimes, some of the choices on the top navigation bar of the website are missing. How do I see them?
A: Some parts of the website are visible only after you sign-in.

Q: How can I get a Member Directory?
A: First, you must sign-in with your member name and password. Then, click the "Members" tab under the main navigation bar- this takes you to the Member Search page. Here you may look up individual members or groups. Swimmer names, parent names, street address, email address and home number are visible for all members who have not indicated a preference in the "My Account" page to not be listed. Note that if you are not listed you can not see the directory either. In this section, you can also direct email any viewable KING family member. When you are viewing the member search results, click on the postal letter graphic to launch the email tool.

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Swim Team Practices

Q: How do I know which training group is right for my child?
A: Returning swimmers must have coach’s approval before changing practice groups. New swimmers should use information at Groups Descriptions to narrow down their choices, and then may attend trial practices and work with coaches to find the best fit. Coaches will always make the final group placement decisions. For a coach-to-parent discussion of your child’s needs please stop by a practice location, contact a coach (see "coaches" page) by email.

Q: When and where are practices for my child?
A: The Practice Schedule  page shows the practice times and locations for all training groups. At the top of this page are links to maps for all practice locations.

Q: How do I know what training equipment my child needs?
A: Look at the Group Descriptions  for a list of workout equipment that your swimmer will need. All swimmers (if wearing a swim cap) MUST wear the black KING logo cap. We do this so ALL swimmers become part of a team and not remain an individual. If you are new, there is a grace period. Please contact your pool representative ASAP to purchase KING swim caps (latex or silicone) for your swimmer. If you have any questions, please ask the coach assigned to your swimmer.

Q: Can I stay at the pool and watch my child’s lesson?
A: While we understand a parent’s desire to see their child learn to swim, it is not encouraged that you remain in the pool facility. For Developmental and Novice groups, parents may sit/stand in the spectator seating area to watch their child’s practice. However, we respectfully request that you do not interfere with the practice session being given and remain a bystander. Our highly trained coaches know the best way to instruct your child and parental guidance is not necessary during this time. Due to insurance regulations, parents are not allowed on the 50 meter pool deck at KCAC. At levels above Novice, it is in everyone’s best interest (swimmers, coaches, and parents) if you remain away from the pool deck until it is time to pick your swimmer up at the end of practice.

Q: Why is there sometimes a delay in the posting of the practice schedule?
A: In the interest of ensuring every group has access, sometimes the pool schedules are late to be posted. Because KING does not own the facilities we train at, we have to coordinate the schedule for each month of all seven (7) pool - one (1) at a time with each pool operator. Sometimes there are events that are scheduled by a pool operator that will impact a training group which causes a ’musical chairs’ situation of scheduling. With these challenges, please accept our appologies and know our intent is to get the schedule up as early as possible.

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Swim Meets

Q: Where do I find information on upcoming swim meets that my child may be eligible to enter?
A: Refer to our Meets / Events  tab at the top menu for all dates, eligibility, forms, travel information, and results. There is also a season at a glance schedule found on the swimmer meet exception form found in the Membership Info section in the Forms area.

Q: How do meet entries work?
A: At the beginning of every season, our coaching staff publishes a meet schedule. This seasons schedule is currently located under “Swim Groups”. Print out the meet schedule of your swimmers level twice, one for your records and one for your child’s coach. Fill out the form by marking the meets which you can not attend. You will be entered in the meets that you have not marked. Once filled out, give to your coach. If we do not have a meet schedule, we can not guarantee your meet entries. If you have a schedule change during the season and can not attend a meet that you had originally planned on attending, you need to let you coach know prior to meet entries sent to the host club if you wish to not be billed.

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Swim Meet Officials

Q: What steps are involved in becoming an official?
A: By following these steps:

  • Attending an Apprentice Swimming Official Clinic
  • Taking the written PNS/USA Swimming Official test
  • USA swimming Non-Athlete registration
  • Finishing a minimum of four (4) apprentice sessions within two (2) meets

Q: Do officials get paid?
A: KING officials do not get paid at meets, but they get volunteer service hours credit for the sessions they work.

Q: How often do I have to work if I am an official?
A: You are required to work a minimum of 4 sessions per year to maintain certification.

Q: Who can I contact for more information on becoming an official?
A: You can contact George Luksetich, KING Meet Officials Coordinator.

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Swim Meet Volunteer Work (Service Hours)

Volunteer Guidelines:

  • All volunteers must check in at Volunteer Table or with Chairperson.
  • All volunteer hours will be posted within two weeks of the date of the meet or function.
  • It is your responsibility to make sure that you have been given credit for the correct hours by checking the website approximately two weeks after an event or meet.
  • Once the hours have been posted, if there are any corrections to your volunteer account, you must e-mail.

Q: How do I check my volunteer hours?
A: Go to the KING website: http://www.kingaquaticclub.com

  • Login using your primary e-mail and password.
  • Click on the gray tab on the left - "$My Invoices/Payments"
  • Click on the “Volunteer Hours” tab
    • This will list all of the jobs and hours that have been recorded for your family.

Q: Can I donate hours to another family if I have more than 24?
A: No, you may not “donate” hours to another family. You can “work” for another family. The family needs to sign up as the volunteer and then you would show up in their place. If you do work for someone else, please mark this in the volunteer book when you check in for the shift.

Q: How do I know how many hours I have volunteered?
A: All volunteer hours will be inputted within 2 weeks of the date of the meet or event. It is your responsibility to check and make sure the correct hours have been posted.

Q: Can I apply for a Volunteer Hardship?
A: We do not have a “hardship application”. If you feel you may not be able to complete your hours, we will help you come up with solutions so you are able to complete your hours. You must contact the KING Boosters Volunteer Coordinator, before the end of the cut-off period or you will be assessed the Service Hours Fee.

Q: Do I need to volunteer the full 24 hours if my swimmer is injured?
A: If your swimmer is an “active” swimmer, all volunteer hours need to be met or the Service Hours Fee will be assessed.

Q: Can I get volunteer hours for taking the Official training class?
A: Yes.

Q: If I sign up to volunteer 2 hours and I am finished in 1.5 hours, do I get the full 2 hours?
A: You will receive credit for the actual hours worked.

Q: How many hours do I get for chaperoning an away meet?
A: All volunteers who are “official chaperones” for an away meet will be given 24 hours for volunteering.

Q: Do I need to turn in hours worked past my 24?
A: Yes, please send in all hours worked so that we can keep accurate hours of all positions, hours and jobs for future reference.

Q: What if I signed up to volunteer and then am not able to? What do I do?
A: All volunteer sign-up jobs have a closing date when members can no longer sign up to volunteer. If your plans change after this date, it is your responsibility to find a suitable replacement for your shift.

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Booster Association Board Meetings

Q: How often are board meetings scheduled?
A: Meetings of the KING Booster Association Board of Directors (BOD) occur monthly. Each regular meeting of the BOD is auto scheduled on the second Tuesday or Wednesday each month during the current swim season. Each meeting date is posted as an Event at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting.

Q: How do I contact board members?
A: Under the "Boosters" tab, select the Leadership page for contact information of every KING Boosters Association Board Member.

Q: Are non-board members allowed to attend board meetings?
A: Yes. Members may and are encouraged to attend meetings of the Board, except when Directors are discussing sensitive personnel or membership issues (i.e., privacy and libel laws may be involved.) Board meeting conduct is governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.

Q: How can I get an item on the board meeting agenda?
A: Members may present issues of concern to the Board at any meeting. All that is required is your issue of concern be placed on the meeting schedule by sending a request to the President and/or Secretary. A typical board meeting includes a block of time for member questions/comments near the beginning of the agenda.

Q: How can I see the KING Booster Association bylaws?
A: The Bylaws of King Aquatic Club Boosters Association are posted on the Boosters page of the website in the Documents section.

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Social Events

Q: How do I find out about social events?
A: All events are announced on the website’s “Team News" area at the upper right corner of the homepage. Also, check out the "General Calendar" on the KING Calendar tab. Some social events will require advance sign-up in the “Events" area at the lower right corner of the homepage.

Q: What kinds of social activities can I expect will be available to my child?
A: From the KING ’Back-To-Swim BBQ’ in the fall to the annual awards & recognition spring banquet, the Club and Boosters Association tries to offer varied social activities for groups of all ages. These include food and socializing during BBQ (fall only); holiday break activities such as bowling, movies, or gym time; team dinners during travel meets; training-group-specific activities (ie: Regional Group pancake breakfast); and the annual spring banquet. Poolside social activities and summertime picnics are also coordinated during long-course season. Most of the activities depend on you, the parent to help organize and staff these type of social events. 

Q: How do I volunteer to help organize social events or offer ideas?
A: Please contact Director of Operations Julia Hansen.

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Team Fundraising

Q: Where can I mail a fundraising check?
A: Mail a check to:

King Aquatic Club Boosters Association
PO Box 1763
Kent, Washington 98035-1763

Make your check payable to the KING BOOSTERS and indicate which fund or program you wish to support (i.e.: scholarships, swim-a-thon, travel fund, meet operations).

Q; Can I make a donation using a credit card?
A: Yes you can! Please make your donation to King Aquatic Club Boosters Association through Network For Good. Click HERE  to make your donation.

Q: What are the tax benefits of making a gift to the KING BOOSTERS?
A: Your gift is tax-deductible as specified in IRS regulations. The King Aquatic Club Boosters Association (tax id number 91-1363268) is registered as a charitable organization with the Secretary of State, State of Washington. For more information, call 1-206-963-8441. Gifts of securities may have additional tax benefits. Bequests, trusts and other planned gifts can offer significant tax benefits.

Q: What calendar does the King Aquatic Club Boosters Association use to recognize gifts?
A: The King Aquatic Club Boosters Association recognizes gifts according to the King Aquatic Club’s fiscal year, which runs from September 1 to August 31. Gifts received between September 1, 2008, and August 31, 2009, will be counted as fiscal year 2009 gifts.

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